God, who made the visible and invisible realms, is the Legislator, Executor and Judge of His creation. Lately I have been reflecting on God’s judgments. As the apostle Peter wrote, “…it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God” 1 Peter 4:17.
We make decisions based on what we see. Jesus said, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgement” (John 7:24). Right judgment, or righteous judgment, is honest, proper, and equitable. Not so with us before we experience transformation. Even as exemplary a man as Samuel, when dispatched to the house of Jesse to anoint the future king, allowed appearances to sway him. God, who knows our hearts, did not allow the prophet’s human judgment to stand.
God’s perspective differs from ours. He sees the big picture as well as all the details. He has an eternal perspective. He also perceives the thoughts and intentions of the human heart. “…the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:12-13).
As the result of this complete understanding, our God can render judgements that are true to His nature and to the eternal purpose that He has for creation. “The judgements of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether” (Psalm 19:9). He orchestrates world events, which appear to contradict His intentions, to bring glory to Himself and to elevate people who commit themselves to Him.
He even accommodates as humanity responds to His interventions. “If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it” (Jeremiah 18:7-10).
Tim Mackie covers this same ground, engagingly and in detail, in episodes 2-6 of his podcast, Exploring My Strange Bible. His subject is Jonah. Here is a link to the first episode in the series. We may be familiar with the story. However, the content of his presentation goes beyond anything else I’ve heard on the subject.
God’s judgements also point out where we don’t measure up to His standard—that is, Jesus Christ. All the ways that we are not conformed to the image of Christ in our inner lives and all the ways that we are not faithfully expressing the life of Christ in the world, God wants to resolve. This work of personal transformation often involves us in suffering. “I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are righteous, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me” (Psalm 119:75).
Finally, God’s judgements have a goal: building a congregation. Psalm 1 compares the righteous, according to God’s assessment, to the wicked. The psalm begins with a solitary, blessed person, pointing to Jesus Christ. In the end, however, it alludes to a congregation of the righteous, from which the wicked are excluded. All these righteous ones share in the life of Christ, the holy One who also makes others holy. The outcome is a community, a family whose Father is God (Hebrews 2:11).
So, God’s judgments make distinctions, set things right, and remain true to His nature and His purpose. Those judgments transform us as individuals, inside and out. In God we find love, abundant grace and unwavering faithfulness. His judgments also unite us to others who share in the life of Jesus Christ.
&&&